Is it overkill?

burg1801

So I've been wondering if my workout is a bit ... drastic. I've been lurking in the forums, reading other plans but I haven't found one like mine.

Basically, I try to burn off just about everything I eat calorie wise. I'd do 90 minutes a day on the elliptical at max (mine is Level 25) and I usually hit 2000+ every morning. I don't feel beat up from it or worn out. I'm keeping myself within the heart rate I should be for my age and I eat between 1500 to 1800 calories on average.

Anyone doing something similar or have any advice?

EDIT: I guess I should have said I'm burning off close to what I'm projected to be eating (right now it's 2100, I get between 1900 and 2000) then the rest of the day I eat.

AnninStPaul

Search the forums on starvation mode and eating back exercise calories...

AntWrig

So I've been wondering if my workout is a bit ... drastic. I've been lurking in the forums, reading other plans but I haven't found one like mine.

Basically, I try to burn off just about everything I eat calorie wise. I'd do 90 minutes a day on the elliptical at max (mine is Level 25) and I usually hit 2000+ every morning. I don't feel beat up from it or worn out. I'm keeping myself within the heart rate I should be for my age and I eat between 1500 to 1800 calories on average.

Anyone doing something similar or have any advice?

What are you doing?

What is your height/weight?

MB_Positif

I won't give the starvation mode speech...however, if you burn everything you eat that means you are basically eating nothing. You will eventually burn out and get tired and probably binge eat. If you are set to lose weight, an appropriate calorie deficit is already in place here on MFP. That is enough to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week. If you keep doing what you are doing you will lose weight, but a lot of that weight could be muscle mass as well. I assume you are not going for a stick skinny look are you? Easy advice. Eat more!

Chairless

Energy has to come from somewhere, probably going to lose a fair whack of muscle doing that.

chauser1022

I have been doing something similar. I work out 2 hours a day at least 3 or 4 days a week and then the other days I do 1 hour. It works for me. My trainer says if my body feels tired to take a break from it. He also says if I feel hungry to eat more. I think it is a very individual decision. And wow...elliptical at level 25!!

rochey1098

Energy has to come from somewhere, probably going to lose a fair whack of muscle doing that.

This is my understanding, yes you can starve yourself and lose weight but why bother. Gaining muscle is much harder than losing fat so you might as well take it easy.

sciencenerd2011

I'm not a professional, but I think that is overkill. You may be doing more harm to your body than good.

BIGJIMMYU

I would suggest rest is the problem. The last plateau I hit nothing worked until I went two days on, then one day off repeating. It seems at least to me it wasn't my workout, but I wasn't giving my muscle tears enough time to fill in with protein. As you know, muscle does not grow while doing the exercise, but grows while after at rest.

Di3012

So I've been wondering if my workout is a bit ... drastic. I've been lurking in the forums, reading other plans but I haven't found one like mine.

Basically, I try to burn off just about everything I eat calorie wise. I'd do 90 minutes a day on the elliptical at max (mine is Level 25) and I usually hit 2000+ every morning. I don't feel beat up from it or worn out. I'm keeping myself within the heart rate I should be for my age and I eat between 1500 to 1800 calories on average.

Anyone doing something similar or have any advice?

So if you burn off everything you eat, what, may I ask, does your body use as energy from calories for simple things such as heartbeat, brain function and all the functions that your internal organs HAVE to complete?

Not only what you are doing is overkill, it is downright dangerous and I am not talking about any starvation mode either!

burg1801

So I've been wondering if my workout is a bit ... drastic. I've been lurking in the forums, reading other plans but I haven't found one like mine.

Basically, I try to burn off just about everything I eat calorie wise. I'd do 90 minutes a day on the elliptical at max (mine is Level 25) and I usually hit 2000+ every morning. I don't feel beat up from it or worn out. I'm keeping myself within the heart rate I should be for my age and I eat between 1500 to 1800 calories on average.

Anyone doing something similar or have any advice?

What are you doing?

What is your height/weight?

I do 90 mins on the elliptical daily

My height is 6'2" and current weight is 317

AntWrig

So I've been wondering if my workout is a bit ... drastic. I've been lurking in the forums, reading other plans but I haven't found one like mine.

Basically, I try to burn off just about everything I eat calorie wise. I'd do 90 minutes a day on the elliptical at max (mine is Level 25) and I usually hit 2000+ every morning. I don't feel beat up from it or worn out. I'm keeping myself within the heart rate I should be for my age and I eat between 1500 to 1800 calories on average.

Anyone doing something similar or have any advice?

What are you doing?

What is your height/weight?

I do 90 mins on the elliptical daily

My height is 6'2" and current weight is 317

You're better off going into a deficit on both training and off days. Hit the weights hard and walk! You will preserve the muscle now and it's makes things so much easier. Look at the long term.

It's much easier to burn fat, than it is to build muscle.

burg1801

So I've been wondering if my workout is a bit ... drastic. I've been lurking in the forums, reading other plans but I haven't found one like mine.

Basically, I try to burn off just about everything I eat calorie wise. I'd do 90 minutes a day on the elliptical at max (mine is Level 25) and I usually hit 2000+ every morning. I don't feel beat up from it or worn out. I'm keeping myself within the heart rate I should be for my age and I eat between 1500 to 1800 calories on average.

Anyone doing something similar or have any advice?

So if you burn off everything you eat, what, may I ask, does your body use as energy from calories for simple things such as heartbeat, brain function and all the functions that your internal organs HAVE to complete?

Not only what you are doing is overkill, it is downright dangerous and I am not talking about any starvation mode either!

Does it matter the order in which I do it? For example, I work out in the morning after eating breakfast and the rest of the day I'm pretty much working my desk job. I eat snacks, drink water and green tea, and eat normal meals throughout the day.

rochey1098

Does it matter the order in which I do it? For example, I work out in the morning after eating breakfast and the rest of the day I'm pretty much working my desk job. I eat snacks, drink water and green tea, and eat normal meals throughout the day.

Do what feels more comfortable for you. I personally don't like exercising before breaking the night's fast

lind3400

your brain needs 500 cals to function properly, brain damage won't help you lose weight

marycmeadows

you should not be at negative or 0 net calories for the day. not healthy, IMO.

rochey1098

your brain needs 500 cals to function properly, brain damage won't help you lose weight

I wish I could forget what cheesecake tastes like though... doubt it's worth gambling. Knowing my luck I'd lose something important :laugh:

ZarrX86

To me the real question here is are you really burning off 2000 calories in a 90 minute elliptical excersice? Im not saying your lying but i think the general consensus for the accuracy of those machines are that they arent very accurate.

engineman312

i'm about an inch taller then you, but you are a fair amount heavier then i was when i started trying to get into shape.

if i can go back to when i started, i would tell myself to start strength training. yes, even over weight. and you don't have to do tons and tons of weights. push ups, pull ups, lunges, and body weight squats are the best body weight work outs.

i'm a bit of a cardio nut, but i don't do more then one 1-hour+ session of cardio every seven to ten days. spending more then 60 minutes on the elliptical, or any kind of cardio machine, is just over kill, in my opinion. the only reason you should do long long cardio is if you are training for a distance event, like a half marathon or a century (100 mile bike ride).

if i were you, i would start changing my routine. do 30 minutes of cardio, and then go do a body weight work out. do 20 body weight squats, 10 push ups, 20 lunges, 10 dumb bell rows (using a milk jug filled with water if you are at home), a 15 second plank, and then 30 jumping jacks. repeat this circuit 2-3 times.

taso42

This is eating disorder / exercise bulimia territory.

lind3400

your brain needs 500 cals to function properly, brain damage won't help you lose weight

I wish I could forget what cheesecake tastes like though... doubt it's worth gambling. Knowing my luck I'd lose something important :laugh:

I feel the same way about potato chips